Many vehicles are known which are supported on three wheels and which are motor driven. Vehicles are also known which are motor driven with the motor being pedal-actuated and, thereafter, being self-sustaining due to the supply of fuel from a fuel tank or the like and due to the fact that the electrical system becomes self-sustaining after it has first been started.
Insofar as we are aware, there are no three-wheeled vehicles which are capable of supporting a driver and passenger in side-by-side relationship on a single seating arrangement. Moreover, there are no three-wheeled vehicles which employ the especially advantageous arrangement of being motor-driven and pedal-started. Furthermore, we are not aware of vehicles embodying the aforesaid features which are constructed of a tubular frame.
In addition to the above, vehicles of the type under discussion are not known to embody safety features whereby the steering gear thereof collapses under impact thereby providing a safety feature for the driver and his passenger.
From our survey of the prior art patents, we believe further that no adequate provision has been made in three-wheeled vehicles for storage space, thereby severely limiting the use of vehicles of the above-noted type. Moreover, no provision has been made in the type of vehicles under discussion to facilitate the starting thereof and to remove from the driver the burden of supplying power to overcome the initial inertia of the vehicle.
In reviewing the prior art patents, we have examined the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
______________________________________ 630,976 1,370,374 3,053,550 631,437 1,371,842 3,294,190 631,438 1,382,942 3,512,599 633,014 1,383,933 3,572,456 710,630 1,876,155 3,583,727 723,168 1,933,101 3,598,195 767,529 1,933,102 3,759,339 1,055,960 1,956,319 3,776,353 1,103,254 2,034,158 3,827,519 1,200,379 2,488,123 3,888,324 1,338,680 2,633,030 3,964,563 1,369,540 2,819,093 Des. 126,663 ______________________________________